Chapter 5 - Fire Behavior Part 2

physical science of fire can help firefighters

translates into practical knowledge of fire behavior

remaining chemically the same, but changing in size, shape or appearance

Physical change

When a substance changes from one type of matter to another, it has had a

chemical reaction

the amount of energy that an object can release in the future

Potential

The energy possessed by a moving object is called

kinetic energy

The potential chemical energy of fuel in fire behavior is converted to

thermal energy

What type of reaction absorbs energy as it occurs

Endothermic

What type of reaction releases energy in the form of heat and sometimes light

Exothermic

The process of ignition causes pyrolysis in solid fuels and what in liquid fuels

vaporization

What is the most common form of ignition

Piloted

What mode of combustion produces a smoldering glow in a material's surface

Nonflaming

In what mode of combustion is a visible flame produced

Flaming

What are the elements necessary to create fire in the model represented by the fire triangle

Fuel, oxygen, heat

Which of the following BEST describes what the fire tetrahedron represents

An uninhibited chemical chain reaction

What type of combustion occurs when burning is localized on or near a fuel's surface

Nonflaming

What product of combustion may heat adjacent fuels, making them susceptible to ignition

Thermal energy

What product of combustion causes the most fire deaths

Toxic smoke

What product of combustion is the most common product in structure fires

Carbon monoxide

describes why firefighters must use SCBA during overhaul

Volume and density of smoke may be reduced, but the hazard is not eliminated

describes kinetic energy transfer

It moves from high-temperature to low-temperature substances.

What source of thermal energy is the most common source of heat in combustion reactions

Chemical energy

Which of the following sources of energy is a form of oxidation

Self-heating

What method of electrical energy occurs when a high-temperature luminous discharge crosses a gap

Arcing

What method of heat transfer occurs when a material is heated as the result of direct contact with a heat source

Conduction

What heat transfer method usually occurs through movement of hot smoke and fire gases

Convection

What method of heat transfer can become the dominant mode as the fire grows in size

Radiation

the influence of exposed surfaces on radiant hea

Dark materials emit and absorb heat more effectively than light materials

Which type of fuel does not contain carbon

Inorganic

the total amount of energy released when a specific amount of fuel is burned

Heat of combustion

Heat release rate is usually expressed in which of the following measurements

Kilowatts (kW)

What type of fuel can be the most dangerous of all the types

Gaseous

What type of fuel has mass and volume but no definite shape

Liquid

Liquids with a specific gravity of less than 1 will

float on the surface.

describes what vapor pressure indicates

How easily a substance will evaporate

the minimum temperature at which a liquid gives off sufficient vapors to ignite, but still not sustain combustion

Flash point

What term is used to describe the extent to which a substance will mix with water

Solubility

What type of fuel has a definite size and shape

Solid

is used to refer to the process that can generate sufficient quantities of burnable vapors to ignite in the presence of a sufficient oxidizer

Pyrolysis

Fuel particles become smaller as the ratio of surface-to-mass

increases

The primary oxidizing agent in most fires is

oxygen

describes the impact of higher oxygen concentration on combustion

Materials burn more intensely

the minimum concentration of fuel vapor and air that supports combustion

Lower flammable limit

the complete oxidation of methane will produce

carbon dioxide and water

the impact of an extinguishing agent when trying to extinguish flaming combustion

It interferes with the chemical reaction

development factors that affects heat release rate

Fuel type

What fire development factor is based on considering how the volume of air will impact radiated heat in a fire

Compartment volume and ceiling height

What form of compartment fire is controlled by the availability of oxygen and the configuration of fuel

Fuel-controlled

What thermal property of a compartment contains heat within the compartment, causing localized increase in temperature

Insulation

What fire development factor includes cold temperature, strong winds, and wind direction

Ambient conditions

In what stage is fire development largely dependent on the characteristics and configuration of the fuel involved

Incipient

Which of the following affects the amount of air entrained in the plume during the growth stage

Location of fuel package

What is defined as the tendency of gases to form into layers according to temperature

Thermal layering

The neutral plane in the growth stage is the

interface of hot and cool layers at an opening

Isolated flames in the gas layer during the growth stage indicates

that portions of the layer are within flammable range

What stage of fire development occurs when all the combustible materials in a compartment are burning

Fully Developed

What fire stage occurs as the fuel is consumed and oxygen concentration falls

Decay

What type of rapid fire development happens when all the combustible materials and gases in a compartment ignite almost simultaneously

Flashover

What common element of flashover represents the shift from growth stage to fully developed stage

Transition in fire development

Which of the following is a heat indicator of a possible flashover

Darkened windows

The ignition of unburned fire gases at the top of the compartment is known as

rollover

What aspect of fire development is a result of an increase in low-level ventilation prior to upper level ventilation

Backdraft

Which of the following is a building indicator for a possible backdraft

Fire confined to a void space

Which of the following is a heat indicator for a possible backdraft

Smoke stained windows

What type of rapid fire development occurs as unburned fuel gases contact an ignition source

Smoke explosion

What is the most common method used in fire fighting operations

Temperature reduction

Water is converted to steam at

212F (100C).

What method of fire suppression is the simplest

Fuel removal

What fire-suppression method does not work if fuel is self-oxidixing

Oxygen exclusion

What suppression method uses extinguishing agents to stop flame production

Chemical flame inhibition

What fire behavior can be the result of wind from outside the structure

Unplanned ventilation